A new initiative to develop official Australian-Chinese co-productions, Chinalight begins accepting submissions today. Hatched by Oz-based international sales outfit Arclight Films and supported by Screen Australia’s Enterprise program, the scheme is seeking Australian talent, including writers, producers and directors, with proposals for genuine Australian-Chinese co-production features.

Successful applicants (here) will be invited to take part in a hothouse script development lab. There, they’ll benefit from input from Chinese and Australian production partners providing tips on how to produce movies with international appeal.

Arclight

Arclight Managing Director Gary Hamilton says, “Chinese studios have never been more willing to engage with the West both creatively and commercially, and Australia’s entertainment industry stands to reap huge gains, spearheading a new era of storytelling for global audiences.”

Arclight is looking to become the leader in terms of initiating collaborations between Oz and the Middle Kingdom, tapping into the growing market. Its Guardians Of The Tomb, the largest Chinese-Australian co-production to date, has completed production and stars an international cast that includes Li Bingbing, Kellan Lutz, Kelsey Grammer and Wu Chun. The film is produced by Hamilton, Ying Ye and Mark Lazarus; and directed by Kimble Rendall whose debut feature, Bait 3D, became one of the highest grossing Australian films ever at the Chinese box office.

Chinalight will be overseen by creative executive Jenevieve Chang, whose memoir, The Good Girl of Chinatown, about growing up in Australia and returning to China as an adult was published by Penguin Random House this year.

Submission for the initiative begins with a one-to-two page synopsis of the feature film proposal. The deadline for round one is September 1, 2017.